For Leandra Alia Jollords, the night was an interminable sequence of mishaps and whimsies. An hour had elapsed since the rain had abated, yet the aftermath was an expanse of mire akin to liquescent chocolate. Muttering curses to herself, Leandra gathered her bell skirt and trudged forward, her feet sinking deep into the glutinous sludge. Something was amiss, something unexpected. Yet all had been well but a few hours before when Leandra had journeyed to the town to summon a midwife to aid in the birthing process. She herself was no stranger to the art of healing and the intricacies of anatomy. Still, she had requested the presence of Niatra, the town's healer, as a witness. For Leandra could guess what could happen during the birthing process.
Alex, her twin sister's husband had harbored suspicions of Leandra's reticence, sensing that she was concealing something of import. To dissuade him from probing, Leandra had enlisted the aid of Niatra. But as fate would have it, the heavens had unleashed their fury upon them.
As Leandra and Niatra traversed the road, the tempest intensified, the rain cascading in sheets and the winds howling like ravenous beasts. Before they had ventured even halfway, the carriage had become ensnared in the sodden soil, unable to budge.
"I beg of you, sister, let us abandon this venture," the rotund healer beseeched, her countenance fraught with dread. "The gods have spoken. Your skills are more than sufficient. Allow me to depart."
With that, she extricated herself from the carriage and vanished into the gloom without a backward glance. Leandra fumed and swore, yet to no avail. She had no recourse but to continue alone.
In the never-ending night, Leandra encountered yet more misfortunes. It took her a grueling two hours to arrive at the skirts of the hill where Cahosse Mansion lay. Her initial plan was to continue her journey on horseback, having parted ways with the carriage. Alas, fate had other designs. Before they had even traversed a mile, the horse's leg gave out, causing the creature to scream in agony and fling the hapless Leandra to the ground. Covered in mud and her midnight-blue gown in tatters, she surveyed the scene in horror, realizing the animal's leg had snapped like a twig. Her own injuries were no less severe, with a sprained ankle and a wrist that could well have been broken.
Leandra was forced to abandon the horse and forge on alone, limping painfully and using a broken umbrella as a makeshift crutch. She couldn't help but recall Alex, and the way he moved, a memory that prompted a bitter laugh even as she gritted her teeth in a hell of a pain. Once upon a time, she had loved a foolish knight, only to lose him to her twin sister, Alleyna. The hurt and anger that followed had eventually consumed her, leading her down a dark path where she found a new love - a more powerful, albeit sinister, man. Though she had once loathed Alex and Alleyna with every fiber of her being, time had dulled those feelings, leaving her focused solely on her goals as a witch. In her mind, nothing could stop her rise to greatness.
"At the end of this accursed road lies my prize," Leandra muttered through gritted teeth, wincing in pain.
Her gaze was fixed upon the wrought iron signplate, fashioned from a curious blend of copper and alloy, bearing the name "CAHOSSE" at the entrance of the winding path that snaked up the hill. Something seemed off - the letters on the plate kept blurring before her eyes, forming the word "CHAOS."
"Perhaps it is but weariness that clouds my sight," she mused with a heavy sigh, seeking to dispel the unsettling sensation.
Undeterred, the witch woman pressed on, heedless of the ominous portent. The road wound up the hill like a serpent, its twists and turns leading her further into the unknown.
But as she walked, the path began to splinter, each fork leading her down a different branch of the labyrinthine route. "What sorcery is this?" she cried out to the dark void, her words echoing through the stillness. A chorus of laughter seemed to answer her, the mocking tones of unseen entities.
"A foul illusion, conjured by some wayward wizard's hand," Leandra muttered darkly, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. She was not so easily fooled, and she would not be deterred from claiming her prize.
Leandra shut her eyes and attempted to hone in on her inner voice. In this labyrinthine maze, she longed for Alleyna's presence. She cursed herself for wanting it. Jealousy burned within her for her twin sister's psionic gifts; traits that she lacked. Aleyna was blessed from birth with abilities such as clairvoyance, a sixth sense, telekinesis, and numerous other supernatural gifts. With a deliberate focus and study, Alleyna could hone these talents and command immense power. She could even challenge the most formidable of mages, and her rare gifts could make her one of Anthedia's, and even Illuthar's, most respected sorcerers. Yet, she had no greed nor ambition. Alleyna always strived to remain unseen, unobtrusive. She refused to employ her abilities unless she was too desperate. This is what drove Leandra insane throughout her life.
Leandra had lost count of how far and how long she had been trekking, the twists and turns of the labyrinth blurring together. She would occasionally open her eyes, only to see the same landscape and an endless maze of branching paths, their deceptive forks leading her astray.
Determined to make sense of her surroundings, she shut her eyes once more and honed in on the sounds of nature. She lamented not paying closer attention when Aleyna had shown her the birdhouses scattered high among the pine trees in the grove, a hobby her twin sister and Alex had recently taken up. Leandra strained to hear the rustling of leaves and branches in the wind, focusing on the distant chirps of birds. But they sounded frightened, their high-pitched squeaks betraying their terror. Beyond them, Leandra picked up on hidden growls, ominous hums, and voices that echoed from the depths of darkness, different and dreadful, yet strangely familiar. Soon enough, she heard the hissing and whispers of a language she had only recently begun to comprehend.
"Could it be the master's call echoes through the shadows?" Leandra questioned, struggling to focus.
She spoke in the dark, twisted language, her words an incantation to summon the beings of darkness.
"Whence do you dwell, denizens of the night? Guide me with your unearthly voices, piercing the veil of death. My eyes deceive me, I am lost. Be my guide."
The witch-woman sensed their approach, and their direful grunts warned Leandra to keep her eyes shut tight.
"Do not open your eyes, child. Remember who I am. Do not utter my name. Listen to my voice and heed my commands. When you wish to speak, simply imagine the words."
The dark tongue rolled off the witch-woman's tongue as she relayed the message, her voice trembling with reverence. "Master," she gasped.
"Silence!" The master's voice boomed, quelling the rising growls of his minions.
The nocturnal creatures drew closer, their eyes glinting with feral menace as they surrounded the witch. They menaced Leandra, baring their razor-sharp fangs with menacing growls.
This time, the witch-woman complied without hesitation. Leandra felt a shiver run down her spine at the sight of the creatures' baleful gaze. She knew the consequences of disobedience would be dire.
"Bravo, apprentice. Your training is progressing well," the master's voice crooned, cutting through the snarls of his minions.
"But a more challenging task awaits. There is an unexpected guest tonight at the Cahosse Mansion, and my loyal minions cannot enter. You must retrieve what is mine."
"Why don't you come hither, master?" asked the witch woman in her thoughts.
"There is a formidable wizard within, blocking my powers, Leandra. This is all you need to know. But more importantly, the war is at its peak. I cannot focus on this task while I fight other kings on one hand, and the Awyrgad (The Cursed One) himself on the other," replied the dark voice.
The witch woman did not object to the answer. How could she? She feared making her master angry once again.
"Fret not, Leandra. This wizard shall not harm thee. He is not one to value such simple assets as thyself. He will hold thee in contempt. This is where thy mission begins. Enter and retrieve the babe from his grasp. It shall not be easy, but if thou succeedest, thy reward shall be great," continued the dark voice.
"And if the wizard refuse, master?" Leandra asked in her thoughts.
"Then you shall persuade him to remain with the child and await my orders. But do not try to deceive me, Leandra. I can find thee wherever you may flee."
The witch woman shuddered at the blatant threat.
"The time is nigh for me to defeat the Awyrgad (The Cursed One) and ascend as ruler of the entire Dark Continent 'Ankhyra', Leandra. But without a regent, my victory means naught. Ponder the position the child shall grow to hold, and the benefits thou, as her aunt, shall reap."
"I would do anything for thee, my master," thought Leandra.
"Remember, Leandra. The fate of the child has already been written. If you can remain with her, you shall carve thy name into the pages of history. Is that not what you has always desired?"
The witch woman's head held high with pride, for she was the aunt of the child whom her master desired as his regent. Only one task remained to claim the coveted title of guardian to the future ruler. Guided by the dark forces that swirled around her, Leandra marched forward with surer strides. She had arrived at the flat plain, and her eyes opened wide to the sight before her. The mansion loomed large, encircled by a forest of deciduous plane trees, red pines, walnuts, and towering nut trees.
"At last, I have arrived at the gate. Let us see who dares to stand in my way," she muttered with renewed conviction.